Home Office

Refugees

The Earl of Sandwich: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many asylum seekers the United Kingdom has accepted so far under the UN High Commissioner for Refugees Gateway Protection Programme; and what is the breakdown of those individuals by nationality.

Lord Bates: The numbers of refugees resettled under the Gateway Protection Programme are released as part of the Home Office statistics each quarter. Since Gateway began to 31 March 2015 (the date of the most recently published statistics), a total of 6,363 refugees have been resettled to the UK. Information on the nationality of resettled refugees has been included in the statistics since 2013.The Gateway Protection Programme is a Home Office led scheme operated in partnership with UNHCR. Those resettled under the programme are not asylum seekers, but are recognised as refugees by UNHCR prior to their resettlement to the UK. The most recent statistics are available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/immigration-statistics-quarterly-release



Gateway Refugees Resettled by Nationality - HL1828
(Excel SpreadSheet, 11.88 KB)

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

South Sudan and Sudan: Peacekeeping Operations

Lord Chidgey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the reliability of the process for overseeing and reporting arms and ammunition recovered by UN and African Union peacekeepers from armed groups in their mission areas in Sudan, South Sudan and Darfur; and what is their assessment of the measures in place to prevent such arms and ammunition being recirculated or returned to the groups from which they were taken, or otherwise used inappropriately.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: We understand from the Department of Peacekeeping Operations that the UN missions in Sudan, South Sudan and Darfur all have processes in place for the recovery and destruction of arms, ammunition and land mines. Many of these activities are carried out by the UN Mine Action Service (UNMAS). Details of their progress in destroying such arms and ammunitions are included in regular UN mission reporting.

Falkland Islands: Population

Lord Wigley: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is (1) the current resident civilian population and (2) the current non-civilian population in the Falkland Islands; and what is their estimate of the annual number of visitors to the Falkland Islands.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The usual resident civilian population on the Falkland Islands is 2,931 (Falkland Islands Government Statistical Yearbook 2014). There are around 1,200 military and civilian personnel based at Royal Air Force (RAF) Mount Pleasant supporting a range of air, naval and land capabilities. Over the last 12 months there have been approximately 47,500 visitors to the Falkland Islands.

North Korea: Biological Weapons

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the report by 38 North that North Korea has the capacity to make anthrax; and what assessment they have made of claims by Im Cheon-Yong that anthrax and other biological agents have been tested on North Korean citizens, including disabled people.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) is a State Party to the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention. Under the Convention it is prohibited from developing, producing and stockpiling biological and toxin weapons, which include anthrax. As a confidence building measure, States should submit annual returns to report implementation of the Convention, but the DPRK has only ever submitted one such return (in 1990). This makes it extremely difficult for the international community to have confidence that they are meeting their obligations under the Convention. We are aware of claims by Im Cheon-Yong, a former DPRK Special Forces officer who defected in the mid-1990s. The UN Commission of Inquiry into human rights violations in the DPRK considered this issue in their 2014 report but received no first-hand accounts. The Commission concluded it was not in a position to confirm these allegations, but noted them as subjects for further investigation.

Gibraltar: Spain

Lord Kilclooney: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether members of the Spanish Guardia Civil were present at the Queen's Birthday Parade in Gibraltar; whether those members wore their Spanish uniforms; and what assessment they have made of whether the Spanish Guardia Civil has facilitated incursions by Spanish vessels into the British waters at Gibraltar.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: Representatives from local Spanish authorities, including the Guardia Civil, are invited to Her Majesty the Queen’s Birthday Parade every year. Two officers from the Guardia Civil attended this year’s Her Majesty the Queen’s Birthday Parade and Garden Party in ceremonial dress. The officers paid full respect to the Colours of Her Majesty the Queen and the Royal Gibraltar Regiment. Guardia Civil vessels have been involved in unlawful incursions into British Gibraltar Territorial Waters around Gibraltar. Although unlawful incursions by Spanish state vessels are a violation of sovereignty, they have no legal impact. These incursions do not weaken or undermine the international legal basis for UK sovereignty over British Gibraltar Territorial Waters. We protest all unlawful incursions to the Spanish authorities.

UN Non-proliferation of Nuclear Weapons Treaty Review Conference

Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what were the outcomes from the UN Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons Treaty review conference in 2015; and what assessment they have made of those outcomes.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: I refer the noble Baroness to the Written Ministerial Statement of 1 June following the conclusion of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference, made by the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my hon. Friend the Member for Bournemouth East (Mr Ellwood), which I repeated the same day in the House of Lords (HLWS6).

UN Non-proliferation of Nuclear Weapons Treaty Review Conference

Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions were held at the UN Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons Treaty review conference in 2015 about the risk of nuclear inadvertence leading to the accidental, unauthorised or mistaken use of nuclear weapons.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The UK gives the very highest priority to the security and safety of our nuclear weapons, and robust arrangements are in place for the political control of the UK’s strategic nuclear deterrent. At the 2015 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference, over 50 working papers were put forward by States Parties or groups of States and a large number of formal and informal statements were made over the four weeks of the Conference. These covered a broad range of issues related to all aspects of the Treaty, including the security and safety of nuclear weapons.

UN Non-proliferation of Nuclear Weapons Treaty Review Conference

Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what proposals were put forward at the UN Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons Treaty review conference in 2015 to mitigate the risks of inadvertent use of nuclear weapons; and what assessment they have made of the appropriate forums in which to hold discussions before the next conference in 2020.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The UK gives the very highest priority to the security and safety of our nuclear weapons, and robust arrangements are in place for the political control of the UK’s strategic nuclear deterrent. At the 2015 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference, over 50 working papers were put forward by States Parties or groups of States and a large number of formal and informal statements were made over the four weeks of the Conference. These covered a broad range of issues related to all aspects of the Treaty, including the security and safety of nuclear weapons. We will continue to engage constructively in discussions on all aspects of the Treaty in the appropriate fora including the First Committee of the UN General Assembly in October this year and at the forthcoming Preparatory Committees of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty scheduled for 2017, 2018 and 2019.

South Sudan: Human Rights

The Earl of Sandwich: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what information they have about whether there will be an independent investigation into the alleged atrocities in Unity State, South Sudan, in April and June, reported by the UN Mission in South Sudan Human Rights division; and what assessment they have made of whether UNMISS can now protect civilians in these areas through increased patrolling.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: We are acutely concerned about the atrocities detailed in the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) report of 30 June and the UK Government has called for immediate and thorough investigations into the allegations. One opportunity for such an investigation will be the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights’ fact-finding mission and comprehensive investigation on South Sudan mandated, with strong UK support, by the UN Human Rights Council at its recent session. The Protection of Civilians remains at the core of the UNMISS mandate including through proactive patrolling outside Internally Displaced Person camps and Protection of Civilian sites. It is therefore unacceptable that access to some of the affected areas has been denied to the mission, and we continue to press all parties to the conflict to ensure full access.

South Sudan: Non-governmental Organisations

The Earl of Sandwich: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they are taking to ensure that international non-governmental organisations working in conflict areas of South Sudan receive UN protection and are able to recover the rising costs of delivering life-saving support.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The UK has contributed £172 million to the humanitarian response in South Sudan since the beginning of the current conflict in December 2013. Part of this contribution goes towards covering security and logistical costs for international non-governmental organisations. In addition, the UK played a key role in shaping the most recent mandate renewal for the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), a central part of which remains to create the conditions suitable for the delivery of humanitarian assistance; and we regularly lobby both the Government and the Opposition in South Sudan to allow unhindered access across South Sudan for UNMISS and humanitarian organisations.

Conflict Resolution: Females

Baroness Helic: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what contribution they are making to the UN High Level Review of Women, Peace and Security, and what proposals they have put forward to ensure an ambitious and effective outcome.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The UK has been actively engaged in discussions in the run-up to the High Level Review, and submitted a paper to UN Women for their Global Study that will form the basis of the High Level Review of UN Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1325 on Women, Peace and Security. We also contributed to the EU paper for the Global Study. Officials are in the process of drawing up a list of ambitious UK commitments that will focus on several key areas where implementation to date has been most lacking, including women’s participation, military/security services, financing, prevention and National Action Plans. These commitments will be announced at the High Level Review in October.

Conflict Resolution: Females

Baroness Hodgson of Abinger: To ask Her Majesty’s Government which minister in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office is the designated lead on women, peace and security.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: I am the dedicated Ministerial lead on Women, Peace and Security in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Diplomatic Service: Road Traffic Offences

Lord Kennedy of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had with embassies and high commissions in the United Kingdom about the payment of parking and other traffic fines.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has held meetings throughout the past year with a number of diplomatic missions about outstanding parking fines and other debts. The subject of a mission’s outstanding debts is also raised with all incoming Heads of Mission. In March and April this year FCO officials wrote to all diplomatic missions with unpaid parking fines over £500, and with unpaid London congestion charges over £100,000, to give them the opportunity to either pay the outstanding fines, or to dispute them with the creditors, before the publication of the details to Parliament. Subsequent payments of parking fines, including amounts waived by councils, totalled £214,154. Details are reported annually to Parliament by way of Written Ministerial Statements (WMSs). The most recent WMSs were made on 16 July by the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), which I repeated the same day in the House of Lords, (HLWS116 and HLWS119).

BBC Monitoring: Finance

Lord West of Spithead: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have considered funding BBC Monitoring from the Conflict Pool or with new money available from the Intelligence Agencies.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The British Government has published a British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) Charter Review consultation paper, seeking views on all aspects of the BBC, including its funding. A copy of this document has been deposited in the Libraries of both Houses. The consultation has not reached the point where the specifics of funding for BBC Monitoring have been proposed.

Conflict Resolution: Females

Baroness Helic: To ask Her Majesty’s Government who will represent the United Kingdom at the UN Security Council debate on UN Security Council Resolution 1325 and the UN High Level Review of Women, Peace and Security, in October 2015.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The UK will be represented at a senior level. A decision will be taken in due course.

Conflict Resolution: Females

Baroness Helic: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the implementation by UN Member States of UN Security Council Resolution 1325; and what the United Kingdom’s strategy is as the UN lead nation on this agenda.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The UK Mission to the UN is in close contact with UN Women, who are supporting the coordination of the Global Study on the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1325 and related preparations for the High Level Review in October. The Global Study will make an assessment on the implementation of UNSCR 1325 by UN Member States, and make recommendations to improve global implementation. The main findings of the Global Study will also be incorporated into the Secretary General’s annual report on Women, Peace and Security, which we expect to be published around the same time as the Global Study. Officials, working closely with colleagues from the Ministry of Defence and the Department for International Development, are developing a series of UK commitments to improve implementation of UNSCR 1325, which will focus on several key areas where implementation to date has been most lacking, including women’s participation, military/security services, financing, prevention and National Action Plans. These commitments will be announced at the High Level Review in October, subject to Ministers’ views on the proposals.

Syria: Peace Negotiations

Baroness Helic: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether it remains their policy to ensure that future negotiations to end the Syria conflict include the formal participation of Syrian women; what representations they have made to the UN about this; and what initiatives they have begun to help identify and support Syrian women’s groups to fulfil this role.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The UK remains committed to ensuring that Syrian women participate fully in any future negotiations to end the Syrian conflict. In 2014 we supported an initiative by the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom to improve the capacity of women’s groups to participate in a political process in Syria, including through learning lessons from similar women’s groups in Bosnia. The initiative also helped to provide a platform for women to advocate for a solution to the conflict in UN fora, including by influencing the UN during the review of Syria’s implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women. We have raised the importance of the role of women’s groups in political processes with senior UN officials, including UN Special Envoy for Syria, Staffan De Mistura. We understand that Mr De Mistura involved women’s groups in his recent round of consultations on a future political process in Syria. We also ensured that the following language was included in June’s UN Human Rights Council resolution on Syria: “Calls upon the international community to support the leadership and full participation of women in all efforts aimed at finding a political solution to the Syrian Arab Republic, as envisaged by the Security Council in its resolutions 1325 (2000) of 31 October 2000 and 2122 (2013) of 18 October 2013”. More broadly, our programmes of support to grass roots peace-building initiatives and civil society groups inside Syria seek to ensure that Syrian women’s voices are heard and that they are represented in future political negotiations.

David Haigh

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of the United Arab Emirates, and what replies they have received, concerning the imprisonment without charge of Mr David Haigh.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office have been providing consular assistance to Mr Haigh since his detention, and have discussed his case with the Emirati authorities. Due to the Data Protection Act we cannot share any further information about Mr Haigh without his express written permission.

EU Action: Parliamentary Scrutiny

Lord Boswell of Aynho: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, for each government department, from January to June 2015, (1) on how many occasions the scrutiny reserve resolution in the House of Lords was overridden, (2) on how many occasions the scrutiny reserve resolution in the House of Commons was overridden, (3) in respect of how many documents an override occurred in (a) both Houses or (b) either House.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The Government strongly supports an effective Parliamentary scrutiny system and will always seek to avoid breaching the Scrutiny Reserve Resolution. Where this is not possible, the Government will continue to account for the circumstances of each override in writing to the Committees.Between January to June 2015, 368 Explanatory Memoranda were submitted. Of the 90 overrides in this period, 73 (81 per cent) of overrides occurred after the dissolution of Parliament when one or both Houses were unable to carry out their scrutiny function. Of the 90 overrides across both Houses, 39 were on fast-moving EU restrictive measures including 11 measures to address the situation in Ukraine.The figures requested are set out in the table below, which excludes reference to a Commission Communication on the Paris Protocol (‘A Blueprint for tackling Global Climate Change beyond 2020’) because discussion with the European Scrutiny Committee has not yet concluded whether this constitutes an override.Department(1). House of Lords Override(2). House of Commons override(a). No. of overrides in both Houses(b). Total no. of overridesForeign and Commonwealth Office46474251HM Treasury130130Department for Business, Innovation and Skills2222Ministry of Justice3333Department for Culture, Media and Sport1111Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs0101Home Office1111Department for Transport0101Totals54865090

Tunisia: British Nationals Abroad

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what estimate they have made, if any, of the impact of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's revised travel advice for Tunisia on the Tunisian economy in terms of the loss of revenue from British tourism.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The Sousse terrorist attack has had a significant impact on tourist numbers in Tunisia: at the time of the attack there were an estimated 20,000 British tourists in Tunisia. This had dropped to around 2,000 before the Government changed its travel advice. Our travel advice has highlighted for some time the high threat from terrorism in Tunisia. Because of developments in the threat and intelligence picture since the attack, coupled with our assessment of the vulnerability of tourist sites, we took the decision to change our travel advice in order to ensure the safety of British nationals Tourism usually accounts for around 15 per cent of Tunisia’s Gross Domestic Product. We and international partners are working with Tunisia to identify how we can best support their economy, including by increasing our bilateral and multilateral support. The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), and EU Foreign Ministers discussed economic support for Tunisia, including a significant increase in olive oil export quotas, at Monday’s EU Foreign Affairs Council. We also continue to encourage Tunisia to set out its plans for its economic development.

Islamic State

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Prime Minister's commitment to work with the US to destroy IS, what their strategy is for doing so.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The UK is part of a Global Coalition of over 60 countries and organisations who have come together to defeat the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). The Coalition agreed that we will need to make concerted efforts on five lines: Military, Foreign Fighters, Finance, Stabilisation and Strategic Communications. The UK is playing a key role to support concerted efforts on these five lines. The UK is a leading contributor to the military efforts to defeat ISIL. We are upgrading local forces – the Iraqi Security Forces (including Kurdish fighters) and the Syrian Moderate Opposition – through the provision of training and equipment and the RAF is part of the Coalition’s air support which is helping to defeat ISIL on the ground. We are countering ISIL’s efforts to recruit foreign fighters by identifying recruitment networks, encouraging the exchange of information on travel routes, and ensuring Coalition members are sharing information to combat the flow of these fighters. We have been working to prevent ISIL’s use of the international financial system and cutting off sources of funding, whether from oil smuggling, kidnap for ransom, foreign donations, or the trade in looted antiquities.  The Coalition is committed to providing stabilisation support in Iraq. Essential services, civilian planning, local government and police will be needed in liberated areas to ensure relief and recovery, so that displaced people can choose to return to their homes safely. In the meantime, the UK is providing humanitarian assistance to the millions of people affected by ISIL’s brutality and chaos in Syria, Iraq and the region. The UK is one of the co-leads for the international working group on strategic communications. We are enabling credible voices across the region to speak out against ISIL’s atrocities and to encourage people not to support or promote ISIL. We also support Iraqi Prime Minister Abadi and his efforts to lead an inclusive government and advance national reconciliation.

Diplomatic Service: Tolls

Lord Quirk: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Statement by Baroness Anelay of St Johns (HLWS119), what action they have been taking on the issue of unpaid London Congestion Charge bills and fines incurred by diplomatic missions and international organisations, with what results, and when they expect a satisfactory agreement to be reached.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has held meetings throughout the past year with a number of diplomatic missions and international organisations about outstanding London Congestion Charge bills and fines, and other debts. The subject of a mission’s outstanding debts is also raised with all incoming Heads of Mission.In March this year FCO officials wrote to all diplomatic missions with unpaid London Congestion Charges over £100,000 requesting payment of the outstanding fines as a matter of priority and to give them the opportunity to pay the outstanding fines, or to dispute them with Transport for London (TfL), before we published the details.Statistics provided by TfL show that the vast majority (around two thirds) of diplomatic missions pay Congestion Charges. Diplomatic missions which do not pay, claim that the Congestion Charge is a form of tax from which they should be exempt under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations (VCDR) 1961. The view of the Government is that there are no legal grounds to exempt diplomats and they are therefore expected to pay Congestion Charges. Officials from the FCO, the Department for Transport (DfT) and TfL continue work to identify a solution to the legal impasse with non-paying missions.

Diplomatic Service: Parking Offences

Lord Quirk: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Statement by Baroness Anelay of St Johns (HLWS116), what action they have been taking on the issue of unpaid parking fines incurred by diplomatic missions and international organisations to ensure fines are duly and regularly paid; and with what result.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has held meetings throughout the past year with a number of diplomatic missions and international organisations about outstanding parking fines and other debts. The subject of a mission’s outstanding debts is also raised with all incoming Heads of Mission. In April this year FCO officials wrote to all diplomatic missions with unpaid parking fines over £500 to give them the opportunity to either pay the outstanding fines, or to dispute them with the creditors, before the publication of the details to Parliament. Subsequent payments of parking fines, including amounts waived by councils, totalled £214,154.

India

Lord Singh of Wimbledon: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the statement in 2014 by the Indian Home Minister describing the 1984 killings of Sikhs in India as genocide, whether they are pushing, or plan to push, for an international inquiry.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The tragic losses of lives during the anti-Sikh riots of 1984 remain a source of deep pain to Sikhs everywhere around the world. We recognise the deep scars that this has left and the understandably strong feelings that exist to this day. We are aware of reports of the Indian Home Minister, Rajnath Singh, referring to the anti-Sikh riots as genocide. Any inquiry is a matter for the Indian government.

Radicalism

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of whether there is a link between Muslim extremism and United Kingdom policies in the Middle East.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: There is no justifiable link between Islamist extremism and British policy in the Middle East. As the Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron), said on 20 July, “The root cause of the threat we face is the extremist ideology itself.” The UK continues to make a significant contribution to countering Islamist extremism and terrorism across the Middle East, including through the UK’s leading role in the Global Coalition to counter the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.

Israel: Palestinians

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the role of the EU in respect of Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The Government assesses that the EU plays a positive role in promoting conduct which is in line with Israel’s obligations as an occupying power under the Fourth Geneva Conventions of 1949.

Israel: West Bank

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had with their European allies regarding any United Kingdom red lines for Israel in the West Bank.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The Government has regular discussions with European partners about Israel’s occupation of the West Bank. Our fundamental starting point in all our discussions is that Israeli conduct must be in line with International Humanitarian Law.

Gaza: Israel

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had with the government of Israel concerning the orders and directives given by Colonel Ofer Winter during Operation Protective Edge.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: While officials from our Embassy in Tel Aviv have not had any discussions with the Israeli authorities over these specific orders, we are pressing Israel to demonstrate accountability for its actions during Operation Protective Edge (OPE). Officials held discussions with the Israeli Military Advocate General’s office on 13 July and with the Israeli State Comptroller’s office on 15 July where OPE was raised.

Greece: British Nationals Abroad

Lord Radice: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their estimate of the spending of British tourists going to Greece (1) in the United Kingdom and (2) in Greece.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: British nationals make around 2 million visits to Greece every year. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office does not have data on the amount of money British tourists spend. The Association of Greek Tourism Enterprises estimate that British tourists spend on average 1000 Euros per visit. Based on Bank of Greece data, 740 Euros out of the 1000 Euros is retained in Greece. They do not provide figures or estimates for expenditure in the UK by British tourists going to Greece.

Egypt

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they are making to the government of Egypt on behalf of Mohamed Fahmy and Baher Mohamed.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: We regularly raise the case of detained journalists, including Mohamed Fahmy and Baher Mohamed, in our conversations with the Egyptian government. Most recently, officials discussed this case with the Egyptian Ambassador in London on 22 July.The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), made a press statement in February stating his concern that Mohamed Fahmy and Baher Mohamed remained in prison, and calling on the Egyptian authorities to review their sentences as a matter of urgency.We will continue to urge the Government of Egypt to demonstrate its commitment to freedom of speech, including the right of journalists to operate without fear of prosecution. The UK has clearly stated that freedom of the press is fundamental to building a democratic society.

Israel: Arms Trade

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Maude of Horsham (HL1418) regarding the sale of arms to Israel, how they define "internal repression" and "using the items aggressively against another country".

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The Government defines ‘internal repression’ as ‘Actions contrary to International Humanitarian Law and other major suppression or violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms as set out in relevant international human rights instruments, including the Universal Declaration on Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.’ On ‘using the items aggressively against another country’, the Government defines that as ‘Under the Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria, Criterion Three requires the Government to consider the risks of threats to the preservation of regional peace, security and stability. The Government takes into account, inter alia, the existence or likelihood of armed conflict between the recipient and another country and whether the equipment would be likely to be used other than for the legitimate national security and defence of the recipient.’

West Bank: Demolition

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the possible consequences for Israel and the Israeli settlers if the Israeli Civil Administration demolish the village of Susiya; and what information they have on any plans to rehouse the residents.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), raised our concerns over settlements with the Israeli government on 16 July, during his visit to Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories. He made it clear to Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu that actions that diminish trust and make the prospect of peace more remote need to be avoided and that settlement announcements do real harm. The Government’s position is that all Israeli settlements are illegal under international law.The Government is a strong supporter of the community in Susiya, including through regular visits to see the situation on the ground. Our Consul-General in Jerusalem visited Susiya, alongside the other EU Heads of Missions, most recently on 22 July, to make clear our serious concerns about the proposed demolition.The Government has not received clear information on plans to re-house Susiya residents, although the community has raised specific concerns that they may be transferred away from their privately owned land, against their will.

Pakistan: Muttahida Quami Movement

Lord Ahmed: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the outcome of the recent raid on the headquarters of the Muttahida Quami Movement in Karachi, Pakistan, by Pakistani special forces.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The UK encourages efforts by the Government of Pakistan to strengthen the accountability of its security forces and to increase security in a way that is even-handed and consistent with international human rights obligations.

Pakistan: Muttahida Quami Movement

Lord Ahmed: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the televised speeches made by Altaf Hussain, leader of the Muttahida Quami Movement, who is based in London, which have been reported as inciting hatred and violence in Pakistan.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: There is no place in the UK for the incitement of hatred or violence and we have strict laws in place to deal with this. Investigations of alleged crimes and any criminal prosecutions are a matter for the Metropolitan Police Service and the Crown Prosecution Service, who are operationally independent of Government.

Pakistan: Muttahida Quami Movement

Lord Ahmed: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of reports that Pakistani special forces in Karachi found alleged terrorists in the headquarters of the Muttahida Quami Movement.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: This specific case is a matter for the Government of Pakistan. Increasing security and countering terrorism across Pakistan is in the interests of ordinary Pakistanis, regional stability and the UK. The Government is committed to partnering Pakistan in the fight against terrorism and violent extremism, and will continue to support Pakistan in developing its capacity to deal with terrorism, and in addressing its root causes.

Pakistan: Muttahida Quami Movement

Lord Ahmed: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact on relations between the United Kingdom and Pakistan of the presence in the United Kingdom of Altaf Hussain, leader of the Muttahida Quami Movement, who is alleged to have been involved in money laundering and terrorism.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The UK continues to support the Government of Pakistan in promoting good governance, economic development and stability in the interests of British and Pakistani national security and prosperity. Investigations of alleged crimes and any criminal prosecutions are a matter for the Metropolitan Police Service and the Crown Prosecution Service, who are operationally independent of Government.

Russia: Georgia

The Earl of Sandwich: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what political and diplomatic response they have made to recent reports of further encroachments by Russia on territory and property in the north of Georgia.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: On 13 July our Chargé d’Affaires attended a briefing by Georgian President Giorgi Margvelashvili, and on 14 July he met Georgian Minister of Foreign Affairs Tamar Beruchashvili to reaffirm UK commitment to Georgia’s territorial integrity in response to the installation of new signs near the Administrative Boundary Line with South Ossetia. Our Embassy in Tbilisi released a press statement on 14 July rejecting any events that increase tensions and isolation in communities living along the Administrative Boundary Line and calling for peaceful resolution of disputes. Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) officials held meetings in London with the Georgian Ambassador to the UK to discuss developments. In London, Tbilisi and Moscow, FCO officials remain in close contact with government representatives and international stakeholders to encourage a measured and peaceful response to this issue.

Northern Ireland Office

British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly

Lord Kilclooney: To ask Her Majesty’s Government who are the members of the United Kingdom delegation to the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly; and to which political party each member is affiliated.

Lord Dunlop: Responsibility for appointing the United Kingdom delegation to the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly lies with the Lords Speaker and the Speaker of the House of Commons.The Government’s understanding is that the United Kingdom delegation has not yet been appointed following the General Election.

Department for International Development

Hepatitis: Vaccination

Baroness Suttie: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they are committed to the introduction of a universal Hepatitis B vaccination programme, as recommended by the World Health Organisation, in order to support the international community's effort to control worldwide transmission of the disease.

Baroness Verma: The UK is fully committed to the introduction of Hepatitis B vaccination programmes, as recommended by the World Health Organisation, and funds these in developing countries through our investment in Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. Gavi delivers life-saving vaccine programmes in 73 of the world’s poorest countries. Gavi provides protection against Hepatitis B through the pentavalent vaccine, which has been introduced and scaled up in all 73 of these countries.  The UK is a firm and longstanding supporter of Gavi and as its largest donor will provide £1.44 billion from 2016 to 2020, which will save 1.4 million lives.

Developing Countries: Sanitation

Lord Chidgey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have plans to increase United Kingdom aid spending on water sanitation and hygiene on a regular incremental basis each year over this Parliament.

Baroness Verma: The Conservative Manifesto committed to help at least 60 million people to get access to clean water and sanitation by 2020, to stop terrible diseases. Exact allocations are to be determined following the Government-wide Spending Review and subsequent internal DFID processes.

Developing Countries: Sanitation

Lord Chidgey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have plans to introduce measures to maximise the impact of United Kingdom aid investment in water, sanitation and hygiene services (1) in health clinics, (2) in schools, (3) with respect to their strategy for the health of mothers, newborn babies and children, and (4) with respect to gender inequality.

Baroness Verma: The UK Government recognises the importance of promoting safe and reliable Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) in health centres and schools in developing countries to reduce environmental health risks. In health clinics adequate WASH is particularly important for the health of mothers, newborn babies and children, and this is recognised in DFID’s health service programmes. The availability of water and sanitation in schools contributed to cleaner, safer, and more conducive learning environments. This is particularly important for girls who must have privacy as well as safe, convenient, hygienic conditions during menstruation. Where DFID has supported WASH in schools, there is anecdotal evidence that girls school attendance and performance is enhanced. International figures for WASH access in schools are much worse than health facilities and DFID has responded in its programming globally. In Sierra Leone, for example, this has prompted DFID to fund the construction of WASH facilities in 200 schools and 120 community health centres, as part of the Post-Ebola response.  DFID has a statutory duty to ensure gender equality is a consideration across all of its work. This follows the International Development Gender Equality Act passed in May 2015.

Developing Countries: Sanitation

Lord Chidgey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government in which developing countries they are working with other governments to deliver sustainable water, sanitation and hygiene services.

Baroness Verma: In many countries the UK Government works with other donor governments to deliver sustainable water, sanitation and hygiene services. In Mozambique, for example, we have supported a Government of Mozambique led fund which is also financed by Canada, the Netherlands and Switzerland. We are a member of the Sanitation and Water for All partnership where we work with other governments to help set sector priorities. In other countries (Bangladesh, Democratic Republic of Congo, India, Malawi, Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Uganda, Yemen, Zambia, and Zimbabwe) we work with partners such as UNICEF and non-governmental organisations who coordinate with other governments as appropriate. In all cases we coordinate with other donor governments in the developing countries where we work.

Developing Countries: Sanitation

Lord Chidgey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to adopt and implement a dedicated sustainable development goal for water and sanitation, with targets for universal access to basic water, sanitation and hygiene by 2030.

Baroness Verma: The UK supports the inclusion of water and sanitation in the post-2015 agenda. We are pleased that the Sustainable Development Goals proposed by the Open Working Group includes a goal to ‘ensure the availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all’ which contains specific targets for drinking water and sanitation. We will continue to build on the work done so far on water, sanitation and hygiene as part of our efforts to finish the job on the current Millennium Development Goals and ensure that no-one is left behind. In the last five years we have supported 62.9 million people, of whom 22.2 million were women, to access clean water, better sanitation or improved hygiene conditions through DFID’s Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) programmes (exceeding DFID’s commitment of 60 million).

Ministry of Justice

Divorce: Financial Provision

Baroness Deech: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to review the law relating to financial provisions on divorce.

Baroness Deech: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to bring forward legislation on binding pre-nuptial and post-nuptial agreements.

Lord Faulks: The Law Commission has undertaken a review of elements of the law in this area and published its report on Matrimonial Property, Needs and Agreements last year, following wide consultation. The review looked in particular at the treatment of nuptial agreements, financial needs and matrimonial property in financial relief cases. The Government is carefully considering the Law Commission’s recommendations and will respond in due course.

Courts: Buildings

Baroness Ludford: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many court buildings from the court estate were disposed of between May 2010 and June 2015 by (1) sale, or (2) rental; and how much money was raised in each case.

Baroness Ludford: To ask Her Majesty’s Government for what purposes the money raised by disposing of court buildings since May 2010 has been used.

Baroness Ludford: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how much of the money raised by disposing of court buildings by (1) sale, or (2) rental, to third parties since May 2010 has been reinvested in (a) the court estate, and (b) HM Courts & Tribunals Service generally.

Baroness Ludford: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how money raised by disposing of court buildings by (1) sale, or (2) rental, to third parties since May 2010 that was not directed into the court estate or otherwise into HM Courts & Tribunals Service has been used.

Baroness Ludford: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what were the maintenance costs between May 2010 and May 2015 for each of the 140 court buildings now identified for removal from the court estate by the Lord Chancellor.

Baroness Ludford: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the estimated value of the court buildings that are scheduled to be removed from the court estate; and how they plan to use the funds raised through the sale or rental to third parties of those buildings.

Lord Faulks: Between May 2010 and June 2015 we sold 105 court buildings that were unsuitable for use and often underused. A further three court buildings have been transferred to the Avon and Somerset Police in which the MoJ still retains a financial interest. As at 30 June 2015 we generated £82.866m in capital receipts from the sale of 105 surplus court buildings. None of the surplus court buildings generated a rental income. Capital receipts from the disposal of surplus property assets formed part of the capital budget for investment in the justice system. The department is committed to disposing of surplus property assets expeditiously and reducing holding costs. The disposal of surplus property assets is, however, dependent on a number of factors e.g. market, potential future use, location and the fact that some are occupied in part by the police and local authorities which also make disposal difficult. There are temporary costs associated with making sure unused buildings are kept secure and protecting the fabric of the building as well as property rates payable to local councils. The maintenance costs between May 2010 and May 2015 for the courts which were closed under CERP can only be provided at disproportionate costs.  On 16 July 2015, HMCTS published a consultation on the provision of court and tribunal estate in England and Wales. The consultation puts forward proposals that aim to reduce surplus capacity by closing courts and tribunals that are unused or underused, or that are simply unsuitable for the services we need to provide from them. The proposals aim to reduce the cost of the estate and reinvest the savings to provide better access to justice. When disposing of surplus property assets, the Ministry of Justice will always seek to achieve the best available overall value for money for the taxpayer in accordance with government guidelines

Prisoners: Age

Lord Harris of Haringey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what projections they have made of the future age profile of the prison population.

Lord Faulks: The Ministry of Justice publish annual projections of the prison population broken down by juveniles (15-17 year olds), young adults (18-20 year olds) and adults (21+). These are published as part of the annual prison population projections.The next release of this publication will be in November 2015, when it is planned to include further tables showing projections for populations aged over 50 years and over 60 years old.

Courts: Buildings

Lord Falconer of Thoroton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Statement by Lord Faulks on 16 July (HLWS108), what, if any, costs incurred on future improvements to courts proposed for closure will now be written off.

Lord Falconer of Thoroton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Statement by Lord Faulks on 16 July (HLWS108), what proportion of the savings made by reducing the cost of the court estate they plan to re-invest, and how they plan to do so.

Lord Falconer of Thoroton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Statement by Lord Faulks on 16 July (HLWS108), what criteria they will use to determine which civic and other public buildings can be used for hearings.

Lord Falconer of Thoroton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Statement by Lord Faulks on 16 July (HLWS108), how many redundancies they expect as a result of their proposals to reduce the cost of the court estate.

Lord Falconer of Thoroton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Statement by Lord Faulks on 16 July (HLWS108), what assessment they have made of the time it will take citizens to reach their required court by public transport if the proposed changes to the court estate go ahead.

Lord Faulks: The consultation paper on the provision of court and tribunal estate in England and Wales will run for 12 weeks from 16 July 2015 until 8 October 2015. Costs for any future improvements which might be written off, the proportion of any savings as a result of reducing the estate that might be re-invested, and the impact on staff are all subject to consultation. The consultation also asks for views on what types of alternative provision might be appropriate if any sites are closed, including whether civic and other public buildings could be used for hearings. No decisions will be made until every response has been considered carefully. Information on travel times is included in each regional consultation paper.

Department for Culture, Media and Sport

S4C

Lord Lipsey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the calculations used in Box 8 of the BBC Charter Review public consultation, what is the cost per viewer hour of S4C.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: According to S4C's Annual Report & Statement of Accounts 2014/15, the cost per user hour is £1.54

Television: Internet

Lord Inglewood: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Neville-Rolfe on 20 July (HL1072), in the light of imminent decisions regarding the BBC's Charter, why they have made no estimate of when television will be delivered predominantly across the internet.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: The Government’s BBC Charter Review public consultation is open until 8 October and no decisions on the BBC’s Charter are imminent.   Further to my answer of 20 July to Question HL1072, there is already a range of industry research on the future of television distribution and a wide variety of views about migration to internet protocol distribution of television services. This includes the 'Future of Innovation in Television Technology Report,' which DCMS officials contributed to, and which was published by the cross-television industry Digital Television Group in May 2014. In May 2014, Ofcom's discussion document ‘The Future of Free to View TV’, also considered which trends that might make universal distribution of internet protocol television possible. In the statement on the future of 700Mhz spectrum, Ofcom concluded that: 'digital terrestrial television is likely to retain this central role over the next decade, with a full switch to alternative technologies such as IPTV not appearing until at least 2030'.

Sports: Females

Lord Moynihan: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to make Women’s Sport Week an annual event.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: Although Government cannot mandate that the sector runs a Women’s Sport Week every year, we are delighted that Women in Sport considered the inaugural week a success and are already making provisional plans for next year.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Motor Vehicles: Litter

Lord Marlesford: To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they expect to publish the results of the scoping study on littering from vehicles; and when they plan to make regulations for littering from vehicles under the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: The scoping study into the most cost-effective and proportionate means to gather evidence about Local Authority enforcement action against littering from vehicles concluded in March. We are considering the findings and plan to publish the report this autumn along with the Government response to the recent Communities & Local Government Select Committee inquiry into Litter & Fly-tipping.We fully support action to tackle littering, reflected in our manifesto commitment to review the case for increasing the fines for littering. Equally, the Government is committed to introducing new regulation only where necessary, when it can be proven to be more effective than current or non-regulatory approaches and provided new regulation can be implemented in a way that is proportionate, consistent, transparent and targeted. We must ensure that any new regulations on littering from vehicles are shaped to the needs of Local Authorities, and will deliver a real improvement on the current law.

Fossil Fuels: Licensing

Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what independent peer-reviewed scientific studies have been conducted on whether it is safe to carry out flow-testing, small-scale fracturing operations and acid washing 10 metres from any watercourse and 200 metres from the nearest residents.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: The Environment Agency has undertaken its own risk assessment and determined that the separation distances cited in the draft standard rules permits are safe for people and the environment. They have also consulted with both Natural England and Public Health England on the proposed rules, who are satisfied the distances are protective of human health and the environment.  Flow testing and acid washing occur at considerable depth underground and are low risk conventional techniques, which have been used by the oil and gas industry for many years. Any proposal for hydraulic fracturing would require a bespoke environmental permit.

Forests

Lord Greaves: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Gardiner of Kimble on 16 June (HL298), which interested parties have been involved in the preparatory work on keeping public forests and woodlands in trust for the nation, in line with the 2012 Independent Panel on Forestry’s recommendations.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: Since the publication of the Independent Panel on Forestry report in 2012, we have engaged with over 50 interested parties on a range of forestry related matters, primarily through their membership of the national Forestry Forum whose next meeting is scheduled for October. This engagement has included preparatory work to develop proposals to keep the forests in trust for the nation.

Forests

Lord Greaves: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Gardiner of Kimble on 16 June (HL298), whether they intend to bring forward primary legislation concerning the forestry estate in the course of this Parliament; and if so, what is their expected timetable for doing so.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: We are fully committed to holding the public forest estate in trust for the nation. Preparatory work has taken place, with key interested parties being involved. We have not committed to bring forward primary legislation, although we have not ruled this out either. In the meantime, the estate will remain secure in the care of the Forestry Commission. I wish to reiterate that we have absolutely no plans to sell the public forest estate.

Rights of Way

Lord Temple-Morris: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what powers they intend to give local authorities to alter the status of routes which have in the past been legally recorded on definitive maps of public rights of way as restricted byways with provision for access by horse-drawn and other non-mechanically propelled vehicles.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: The Government does not plan to introduce any new powers in primary legislation to specifically give local authorities the ability to alter the status of restricted byways or any other type of public right of way.   The legal framework governing public rights of way has been reviewed by a stakeholder working group, which recommended a package of reforms which are now being implemented through provisions included in the Deregulation Act 2015.

Department for Communities and Local Government

Combined Authorities

Lord Kennedy of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether there are any areas or types of authorities that they would not consider being brought together to form a combined authority.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 2009 provides that county councils and district councils may form combined authorities, subject to certain conditions, which the Cities and Local Government Devolution Bill will, if enacted, modify. The 2009 Act does not provide for London Borough councils to form combined authorities and as I informed the House at Report stage on that Bill we are ready to continue discussion on what the most appropriate changes might be to provide the London governance needed for greater future devolution.

Mayors

Lord Kennedy of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether there are any other Executive Mayors in addition to those of London and Bristol that could not be abolished by the holding of a referendum.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: There are none. The Greater London Authority Act 1999 makes provisions for the London mayor, and mayoral governance in Bristol has been established pursuant to Part 1A of the Local Government Act 2000.

Non-domestic Rates

Lord Kennedy of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to reduce business rates.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: We announced at the 2014 Autumn Statement an extra £650 million of support for 2015-16 business rates bills in England, bringing the total support from 2013 and 2014 Autumn Statement measures to £1.4 billion in 2015-16. That includes: doubling Small Business Rate Relief for a further year;a 2% cap on the inflation increase for 2015-16 (for the second year);increasing the temporary discount for shops, pubs and restaurants with rateable values below £50,000 from £1,000 to £1,500 for 2015-16;extending the existing transitional relief scheme for two years for properties with a rateable value up to and including £50,000; andlimiting backdating of bills arising from changes to the rateable values list. We are also conducting a review of business rates which will conclude by the end of this year.

Greater London

Lord Bowness: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the powers of the Secretary of State contained in clause 10 of the Cities and Local Government Devolution Bill [HL] could be used to alter or extend the boundaries of Greater London.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: If all the councils concerned consented, the Secretary of State’s powers in the Cities and Local Government Devolution Bill to make regulations on local authority governance could be used to facilitate the alteration and extension of London Borough boundaries, and hence of Greater London. The Secretary of State intends to use these powers to effect governance changes where these are part of an agreed bespoke Devolution Deal.

Wales Office

Sheep Dipping: Wales

The Countess of Mar: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether, prior to September 1993, a circular was issued by the Welsh Office Poisons Unit indicating that doctors would not be presented with cases of sheep dip poisoning unless the patient could prove that they were employed in manufacturing such products or that there had been a spillage during transport; and if so, upon whose authority the circular was issued, upon what evidence it was based, and to whom it issued.

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth: The Wales Office holds no record of the circular referred to.When the National Assembly for Wales was established in 1999, all documents held by the Welsh Office at that point were transferred to the Assembly.

Cabinet Office

Legislation: England

Baroness Andrews: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Stowell of Beeston on 16 July (HL1057), which specific pieces of legislation passed between 1985 and 2015 relate exclusively to England.

Baroness Stowell of Beeston: The Government has not performed a retrospective assessment of which laws passed since 1985 relate exclusively to England in their entirety. Under the Government’s proposals on English Votes for English Laws, the application of the proposed new rules to future legislation will be a matter for the Speaker of the House of Commons, considering both the application of the legislation and whether or not the matters in question are devolved.The Speaker will not only certify bills as a whole, but also clauses and schedules within bills under this test.

Bills: England

Lord Wills: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what estimate they have made of the number of bills in each of the previous five Parliaments that affected England alone and had no implications for any of the other nations in the United Kingdom.

Baroness Stowell of Beeston: The Government has not performed a retrospective assessment of bills introduced in previous Parliaments that affected England alone and had no implications for any other nations in the UK. Under the Government’s proposals on English Votes for English Laws, the application of the proposed new rules to future legislation will be a matter for the Speaker of the House of Commons, considering both the application of the legislation and whether or not the matters in question are devolved. The Speaker will certify bills as a whole and also clauses and schedules within bills under this test.The Government’s proposals for English Votes for English Laws provide for certification of bills and clauses or schedules by the Speaker of the House of Commons based on the territorial application of the legislation and on the devolution settlement.